November 12, 2006

5) Junya Watanabe

I briefly wrote about this collection awhile ago; Robin Givhan's article about being made anonymous in clothes/masks is a great read.

Junya Watanabe's alarming collection is great in its juxtaposition between being a comment about terror and violence and about clothes that are actually very wearable and beautifully made.

Of course it is somewhat, if not entirely, disingenuous that much credit be given to luxury fashion when it decides to be political. "War is scary! People are dying! Buy this $2,000 trench coat!" It's ridiculous and not a true act of defiance or activism.

However, it is vital that conceptual design not be wholly removed from the culture and politics of the day. Side-by-side, Watanabe's collection seems more vital than, say, Valentino, because the clothes don't look like they are ignoring the world.

The other reasons Watanabe's collection resonates this season are more superficial: layers of street warrior aesthetic in combat green just look really damn good. Those punked out boots are super sexy.